From snacks to the playlist to dessert, this is how Lupita Nyong'o throws a dinner party.

Growing up in Kenya, Lupita Nyong’o was accustomed to a packed dinner table. “My parents had six children, so sharing a meal with a lot of people comes naturally to me,” says the actress, who stars in Queen of Katwe, out now. It’s no surprise that she approaches entertaining with ease. “My dinner parties usually spring up out of nowhere,” she says. “I might be having coffee with a friend in the afternoon, and all of a sudden we’re throwing a big feast together that night.” Though the vibe is low-key, Nyong’o has a few house rules: The guest count is capped at eight (“a good number because people can join in the same conversation, or break off for more intimate chats”); everyone lets loose and dines barefoot; and a solid soundtrack is a must. Dinner is typically family-style (think fish curry with coconut rice), and dessert’s always easy. “I’m all about expressing gratitude for the people I’m with and for the meal at hand,” she says, especially given her hectic schedule. “These days it’s a miracle just to make a dinner like this happen.” For more of Nyong’o’s laid-back party tips, read on:

What are some of your favorite things to eat and cook?I like hearty meals. I like to feel the comfort of something home-cooked. Rices are great for that. There’s a dish we eat in Kenya of Indian origin that I absolutely love called pilau. We put our own spin on it with garlic, ginger, cumin, cardamon, cloves, cinnamon, fried onions, broth, and goat meat. Fish curry is another favorite because I really love coconut milk, onions, and cilantro. I like whole fish and I’ve eaten that all my life.

You must be an expert at de-boning, then.Ha! Yes, I am.

Alex Lau

Lupita's guidelines for dinner party success (see the full playlist below). Photograph by Alex Lau

Do you like to serve snacks?Oh yes. I always put out nuts—usually cashews, because I love them—and salt and vinegar potato chips. Also, there’s this Kenyan snack called chedra that’s always a crowd pleaser. It’s a whole medley of things—potatoes, lentils, nuts, and raisins—deep fried in spices. It’s sweet, sour, and savory all at the same time, and it’s quite crispy. I crave it.

When you throw a dinner party, do you try to gather people who all know each other, or do you like to bring together a mix of people who don’t?A little bit of both. I like to curate the people I bring together. I have friends from all different walks of life, and I try to build my dinner parties very strategically. I think about personalities, environment, and things like that.

Is there one particular food that you always seek out no matter where you are in the world?When I travel, I like to eat like a local. For example, while I was filming Queen of Katwe in Uganda, I fell in love with this dish called Luwombo: It’s smoked fish, plantains, mushrooms, onions, and tomatoes cooked in a banana leaf and wrapped up like a little present. Bananas are a big part of Ugandan cuisine and natives use the leaves to cook. It’s so, so good.